Police are asking local residents to alert them if they are bothered by cold callers knocking door-to-door. They say they've had a number of complaints in the last week. According to PCSO Samantha Griffin some are unlicensed. "These guys are harmless most of the time, but they are selling very expensive goods and can be intimidating and without a pedlars' licence. Please call us on 101 when these people come knocking."

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Herts police are again warning about door-to-door callers, this time following an incident in Brookmans Park.

According to police, the victim of the scam opened their door to find 'a well-dressed man' who had parked a "dark Range Rover" outside the house. He said he had a brand new sets of knives, cutlery and cooking utensils which he wanted to sell because he claimed he was heading back to Switzerland and was unable to take them with him.

Police say the caller told the local resident that he had sold sets to another person in the road and also at the Brookmans Park Golf Club. He told them that he had two sets of each left which he would sell for £1,000. He gave them a calling card from a company in Switzerland who he said were the manufacturers of these items.

Herts police say everything looked genuine, but they are warning that this scam has been done before with other items which are not worth the stated purchase price.

Police are concerned that, in the run up to Christmas, these scams could increase. They are warning local residents not to buy from door-to-door sellers. They also want help in warning elderly neighbours who may not be online and who may not be aware of the scam.

Officers are repeating the standard tips for staying safe and secure:

- Never let anyone you don't know into your home- Don't deal with doorstep traders. It's a good idea to display a No Cold Caller sticker- Beware of unexpected phone calls. Fraudsters might pretend to be officials such as police or bank staff- Never reveal your PIN number- Dont allow yourself to be pressurised by pushy sales techniques. Take your time or get a second opinion- Don't call unfamilar numbers or reply to unknown texts as these could result in high charges- Never send money to anyone you dont know or pay fees however small to claim prizes or lottery winnings

Be aware that the most common type of fraud affecting those aged over 65 is 'advance fee fraud', where fraudsters target victims to make advance upfront payments for goods/services or financial gains that do not then materialise.

Forgot to say that a couple of weeks ago a young man selling the usual dishcloths etc claimed to have been discharged from the Army on medical grounds and if he could do well at this job, he had a chance of a job with Mercedes or BMW! Somehow I managed not to laugh.